


Aperture

by imbrokelyn99



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: M/M, Photography, big fluffy, fluffy fluff, tender bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 10:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19018105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbrokelyn99/pseuds/imbrokelyn99
Summary: Aperture (n.): the opening in a photographic lens that lets in the light.David finds pictures that Patrick took.





	Aperture

David was in the middle of a cleaning spree when he found them. That morning, he had decided to make the back room his project of the day and set to work dusting, wiping down surfaces, and organising stock shelves, as he did once a week. It was the perfect outlet for the nervous energy that built up in his system like a clog in an artery, and for David, there was nothing quite like a good, deep clean to clear it out. He was digging through the desk drawers in the back to organise Patrick’s paperwork and snag a look into the store’s accounting book when, as he flipped the log open to the page for this week, a cluster of papers slipped out and landed face-down on the hardwood.

He bent down to pick them up, nervous at first that they were receipts or some other type of important document, until he flipped one over. Printed on palm-sized pieces of thick photo paper were glossy images—of _him_. He gathered them up in his hands and lay them out on the desk, clutter forgotten. 

There were five in total. David remembers one of them being taken—Patrick whipping out his phone to snap a picture of David grinning, giddy, as he bit into his first slice of pizza one night and David deliberately choosing to enjoy his food rather than lunge for the phone after—but he’d never seen the others. One was from the surprise trip to the aquarium that Patrick had set up, where they had wandered into the shark tunnel and David, bathed in blue light with streaks of sunlight refracting through the water, felt as content and at peace as he looked in Patrick’s photo, watching the fish swim around in schools.

Another was taken in their kitchen—David remembered the occasion; it was their eighth month together and he wanted to give Patrick a little monthaversary gift of his own, after receiving months’ worth of sweet treats. He’d tried to make brownies, but they turned into a big, soupy mess in the pan, and Patrick had walked in on him laughing hysterically at the disaster, his exhaustion and frustration bubbling into something closer to amusement at how tragically his efforts turned out. In the photo, David had a smear of batter on his cheek—which, he remembered with a blush, Patrick licked off later—and his face had cracked open into a long laugh. He was charmed by the image, Patrick seeing him in near hysterics and still thinking he was beautiful enough to photograph.

David’s eyes slid onto the next and felt heat rise in his cheeks. The photo was of him in their bed, tangled up in their sheets as the sun framed his messy, wild hair from behind. He was sleeping peacefully, and though all he could see were his own bare shoulders and back, he knew he didn’t have a lick of clothing on under the covers. He’d taken a few similar ones of Patrick himself; on the rare occasion when he’d woken up before his husband after a night of charting the well-loved paths of each other’s bodies, he’d marvelled at the peace on Patrick’s face, the way the morning sun made him glow like an angel: precious, sweet, protective. His heart clenched at the idea that Patrick may have thought the same of him.

The last was taken in Rose Apothecary. David was helping a customer who was just out of frame, and he was smiling, engrossed in his own explanation of the product, so enthusiastic to be sharing it with this customer. He was framed beautifully by the plants in the windows, sunlight streaming in through the glass, making him look like the subject of a painting.

David took them all in, feeling a little like he couldn’t breathe. He was so overwhelmed with love for his husband, and it spilled out of him in small sobs. 

“David, are you okay?” Patrick called from the doorway. David hadn’t even registered Patrick’s approaching footsteps or the pulling back of the stock room curtain. His head snapped up and he met his husband’s gaze. 

Patrick’s face was creased with concern, but as soon as his eyes slid down to the desk to see what David had started crying about, a flicker of understanding smoothed his features. He crossed the room immediately, enveloping David in a hug. 

“David, what’s the matter? Do you not like the photos?” Patrick asked, and David shook his head, holding his husband closer and burying his face into his neck, kissing the tender skin there.

“Patrick, I love them. I love you so much, it’s actually making my heart hurt? So, um, I think I need to go to the hospital?” David said. 

Patrick pulled away and laughed, his hands cupping his husband’s face and wiping his tears away with his thumbs. “David. I love you, too. And I don’t think you need to go to the hospital.” 

David let out a watery laugh. “When...I mean...these photos...” David started. He didn’t quite know what he was asking, just that he loved them and wanted to know more about them. 

Patrick smiled and picked them up, his eyes drinking them in, crinkling at the corners with the ghost of a smile. “Sometimes...I think you’re so beautiful that I can’t take it. And, um, so I try to capture it. This one,” Patrick said, moving the Rose Apothecary photo to the top of the pile, “was the first one I took. It was before we even got together. I just...liked seeing you so happy and passionate about this new thing we’d started together.”

“Did you have to hike about that afterwards?” David teased, his arms winding themselves around Patrick’s neck as his husband put the photos down. 

“Oh, definitely. It was a very long hike. Lots of thinking. And sweating,” Patrick joked back. He felt a smile tug at his own lips when he registered the sudden interest in his husband’s eyes.

David leaned in and kissed him softly, once, twice, then over and over. “I love you. I love you,” he said between kisses.

“Even when I take pictures without your approval?” Patrick said, enjoying the kisses but unable to resist teasing David. 

“Well...if they all look like this, then _I guess_ it’s okay.”

Patrick laughed. “Duly noted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Caitlin @rosevilles for looking this over and making sure my sleep-deprived brain is writing words correctly.
> 
> Love as always to the SC Discord, who literally inspire me to write almost every day.


End file.
